what is muhurat trading

Muhurat trading is a special, roughly one-hour trading session the Indian stock exchanges hold on the evening of Diwali, marking the start of the new Samvat year in the Hindu calendar. It is a long-standing tradition considered auspicious for beginning fresh investments, and trades done in it are real and settle normally. It is symbolic in spirit but genuine in effect.

is muhurat trading a real trading session

Yes. Although it is short and ceremonial, Muhurat trading is a live session in which real orders are placed and real trades are executed and settled like any other. Volumes are usually light and the mood is festive, so it is not the moment to make large or serious decisions, but a trade done during it is as real as one on an ordinary day.

what are the stock market timings in india

The regular equity trading session runs from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays, preceded by a pre-open session from 9:00 to 9:15 am that discovers an opening price. Markets are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and on the trading holidays the exchanges publish for the year. These are the standard hours; special sessions such as Muhurat trading are announced separately.

what is the pre open session in stock market

The pre-open session is a 15-minute window from 9:00 to 9:15 am before regular trading, during which orders are collected and a single opening price is discovered through call auction, so the market opens at an orderly price rather than a chaotic first tick. It matters most after overnight news, when many participants want to act at the open. Orders can be placed and modified during most of it before the opening price is struck.

where can i see the stock market holiday list

The stock exchanges — NSE and BSE — publish the official list of trading holidays for each calendar year on their websites, and it is widely reproduced by brokers. Note that trading holidays and settlement holidays are not always identical, and some holidays apply to specific segments. Checking the official list matters when you have a time-sensitive order or a settlement falling near a holiday.

Muhurat trading and the market calendar

Once a year, on the evening of Diwali, the Indian exchanges open for a single ceremonial hour. Muhurat trading is part tradition, part genuine market — and it is a natural doorway into something more practical that every investor should have straight: the ordinary calendar of hours, weekly closes and holidays that governs when an order can actually be placed and settled.

Think of it like this

Naye saal ka shubh muhurat

Many families open a new account book or make a small first purchase at an auspicious time on Diwali — a symbolic, hopeful start to the year, done properly even if the amount is tiny.

In the market

Muhurat trading is the market’s version: a short, auspicious session to begin the new Samvat year. The gesture is symbolic, but the trade is real and settles like any other.

What Muhurat trading actually is

Held on Diwali evening, Muhurat trading marks the start of Samvat, the new year in the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally considered an auspicious time to begin investments. The session lasts about an hour, at a time the exchanges announce each year. Orders are real, trades execute and settle normally, and volumes are typically light with a festive rather than serious tone. It is a lovely tradition and a poor moment for a big, considered decision.

The ordinary calendar around it

Session	Timing	Purpose
Pre-open	9:00 – 9:15 am	Discovers a single opening price by auction
Regular trading	9:15 am – 3:30 pm	Continuous trading through the day
Weekends	Saturday & Sunday	Markets closed
Trading holidays	Published yearly by NSE/BSE	Exchange closed; list it before time-sensitive orders
Muhurat trading	Diwali evening, ~1 hour	Symbolic new-Samvat session; announced separately

Check yourself

Which statement about Muhurat trading is correct?

What to remember

Muhurat trading is a symbolic ~1-hour session on Diwali evening marking the new Samvat year.
Its trades are real and settle normally, but volumes are light — it is ceremony, not strategy.
Regular trading runs 9:15 am to 3:30 pm, with a 9:00–9:15 pre-open auction that sets the opening price.
Markets close on weekends and on the trading holidays NSE and BSE publish each year.
Trading and settlement holidays can differ — check the official list before a time-sensitive order or settlement.

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Common questions

Short, direct answers to what people ask about this topic.

what is muhurat trading: Muhurat trading is a special, roughly one-hour trading session the Indian stock exchanges hold on the evening of Diwali, marking the start of the new Samvat year in the Hindu calendar. It is a long-standing tradition considered auspicious for beginning fresh investments, and trades done in it are real and settle normally. It is symbolic in spirit but genuine in effect.
is muhurat trading a real trading session: Yes. Although it is short and ceremonial, Muhurat trading is a live session in which real orders are placed and real trades are executed and settled like any other. Volumes are usually light and the mood is festive, so it is not the moment to make large or serious decisions, but a trade done during it is as real as one on an ordinary day.
what are the stock market timings in india: The regular equity trading session runs from 9:15 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays, preceded by a pre-open session from 9:00 to 9:15 am that discovers an opening price. Markets are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and on the trading holidays the exchanges publish for the year. These are the standard hours; special sessions such as Muhurat trading are announced separately.
what is the pre open session in stock market: The pre-open session is a 15-minute window from 9:00 to 9:15 am before regular trading, during which orders are collected and a single opening price is discovered through call auction, so the market opens at an orderly price rather than a chaotic first tick. It matters most after overnight news, when many participants want to act at the open. Orders can be placed and modified during most of it before the opening price is struck.
where can i see the stock market holiday list: The stock exchanges — NSE and BSE — publish the official list of trading holidays for each calendar year on their websites, and it is widely reproduced by brokers. Note that trading holidays and settlement holidays are not always identical, and some holidays apply to specific segments. Checking the official list matters when you have a time-sensitive order or a settlement falling near a holiday.